It’s spring time and that means many people are itching to do some home improvement. This easy DIY project you can do this weekend is super simple and super easy and will yield great results. We all know we need to clean our our closets, but many of us just avoid the task.

Maybe it seems overwhelming because the closet is so small and you just don’t think there’s anything you can do to improve the situation except to throw everything out.

You’re half right. You can improve your closet situation and you don’t have to throw everything away, but you will need to weed out the stuff you don’t use – and that’s a surprising amount, believe it or not.

Easy DIY Project You Can Do this Weekend

The 6 Month Rule

The general rule of thumb is to throw out (or donate, consign or have a garage sale) anything that you haven’t used in 6 months. This is Minnesota, and we don’t use half our wardrobes for 6 months at a time. If you haven’t worn something in the last year it might be time to ditch it and free up some space in your closet.

Try It On

Go through the stuff you want to keep and try it all on. If it fits, hang it back up. If it doesn’t it’s time to let go of it. Don’t hold onto something because you plan on losing weight to fit into it. It will likely be out of style by then and we all have something from decades ago that we’ve been holding onto because of a diet that’s going to be the one to work. Let it go. You should only have clothing in your closet that fits you. If you have additional storage and can box up the clothing that doesn’t fit, go ahead and do that (however, you’ll eventually let it go).

Shoes

Keep the shoes you wear regularly and include a pair or two of dress shoes that can be worn for any occassion. Get rid of shoes that don’t fit or that are worn out. If you have a pair of expensive leather boots that need repair, take them to the shoe repair store and get them fixed. Shoes and boots that are currently out of season can be store with air fresheners in a plastic tub that can be store in the basement or garage.

Donate

If you’ve gone through your closet and tried everything on and tossed everything you haven’t worn in more than a year, you probably have a large pile of clothing in pretty good shape. Consider donating them to the Goodwill or other thrift store so someone might be able to make good use of them. Refrain from donating torn or otherwise worn out clothing. Use ripped t-shirts and cut them up to use as rags in the garage.  If you’ve got designer labels in good shape you may want to consign your clothes and shoes.

It might not seem like a big project, but cleaning out the closet can be an overwhelming task. Getting it in ship shape can be extremely satisfying and the next time you’re looking for something in your closet you’ll know that it fits and that you can find it easily.